Anguilla was first colonized in 1650 by English
settlers from St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and has since remained a British
territory. It was originally part of the West Indies Associated States as
a component of the St. Kitts–Nevis-Anguilla Federation. In 1967,
Anguilla declared its independence from the federation but Britain did not
recognize this action. In Feb. 1969, Anguilla voted to cut all ties with
Britain and become an independent republic. In March, Britain landed
troops on the island and, on March 30, a truce was signed. In July 1971,
Anguilla became a dependency of Britain and two months later Britain
ordered the withdrawal of all its troops. A new constitution for Anguilla,
effective in Feb. 1976, provided for separate administration and a
government of elected representatives. The Associated State of St.
Kitts–Nevis-Anguilla ended in 1980, and in 1982 a new Anguillan
constitution took effect.

Over the years, Anguilla became popular as a tax haven.
There were no forms of taxation, no capital gains, estate or profit taxes for
corporations or individuals. However, in April 2011, Anguilla issued its first
income tax, a three percent Interim Stabilisation Levy, due to a mounting deficit.
On July 23, 2013, Christina Scott became governor.